Why MIT

Why I am going to MIT next year

Part 1: My Major

Originally, I was interested in an information science program. In sophomore year, I had used the College Board’s MyRoad program to explore the various majors. I hit on the information science program because it is “where computers and people meet.” Unlike computer science, IS deals with how people will use the system and how it fulfill their needs. For example, say Investment Bank X wants to build a new computer system that all of their traders would use to get their jobs done. Well what does that mean? Someone with an information science background would start finding out what traders actually do. They might follow one around for a few days and see what tasks they perform.

Now as part of building that system, there may be some hard problems that need to be solved. For instance, how do you keep data in sync around the world? Or how will the system support 1 million trades per hour? Those are the problems a CS student can solve.

But how will that amazing system be used? Will it be intuitive for the traders to use? Will they need extensive training, taking them out of work for a few weeks? Will they be able to do common tasks in 1 click or 5? Will it frustrate them to no end? Will they like the old system better? These are the questions someone with an IS background must think about.

Apple has gotten this straight on. The iPhone, for all its shortcomings, was revolutionary for handheld user design. Not just simple mechanics, like a pinch to zoom in, but the way everything fit together was intuitive and just worked. Have you ever seen anyone read a user’s manual for it? Is there even one? This success has been very profitable for Apple and rocketed them from 0 to #2 in the US smartphone market. Every other phone maker concentrated on features. They had a checklist on a whiteboard somewhere. FM radio? Check! even though it looks like it was put together in day and no one really knows how it works. It’s gotta work first, of course. But it must also work well. That is what an IS major makes sure of.

Now the IS program at many schools is well funded. Many companies have realized the importance of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) and support IS schools because they want the graduates. For instance, at Drexel University, the iSchool has the top average co-op salary. At Penn State, the Information Sciences and Technology program has the highest average starting salary of any PSU school. They also have the highest spending per student of any PSU school.

All of this is awesome. One problem, MIT does not have an Information Science department.  :( This was my major hesitation for MIT. Actually, at first, I applied to MIT on a lark. I wanted an IS program, and MIT did not have one. I applied to see what would happen. If figured if I got it, I could boast about how I turned down MIT. (some notes from first visit; parent saying I did not like it)

Part 2: I got in

In Part 1, I talk about what I wanted to do in college and how MIT did not offer that program. But then, on Pi day, I was down in the basement editing Tecker 911 (link) with my friend Mike Gdovin. About 20 minutes after the decisions had been posted, I went online to decisions.mit.edu. I entered my user name and password and took a breath. I closed my eyes and clicked the button. “On behalf of the Admissions Committee, it is my pleasure to offer you admission to the MIT Class of 2013.” Wait, what did that say!?! I read it again. “offer you admission” What? I actually got in? I was surprised. Only 10% of students are accepted.

Now remember, at this point in time, I wanted to go to an Information Science program. MIT did not offer one. I love the tech culture of MIT, but I didn’t think they had the program I wanted. I called the admissions office and spoke to one of the officers (McGreggor if we want to mention that). He explained what MIT had to offer for me. Instead of a formal IS/HCI program, those aspects are part of other MIT programs. He pointed out that the Areo/Astro program and the media lab do work in these areas.

Now the Media Lab truly is in the forfront of this type of work. From my sense of it (ie look at their site and a walk through the building) the Media Lab works on not just software, but new ways of working with hardware. A perfect example of this is “Sixed Sense”. This is exactly what I want to do. The other schools I looked at worked mostly on software interfaces (*from my sense of their schools*). Now these are important, but there is no ground-breaking work being done. (Note: there are exceptions to this like the [http://cfb.media.mit.edu/research/erationality/concrete-budgeting Center for Future Budgeting’s Concrete Budgeting website)

One more problem. The Media Lab does not offer a major. It is mostly a graduate school. However, it does offer a minor (MAS). In addition, there is a freshman year program that I plan to take part in. Finally, undergrads have the opportunity to take UROPs and work on these projects. McGreggor also spoke about my history of entrepreneurship and pointed out how MIT is one of the best places for that. So after the call, I totally ignore my homework and did 3 hours of soul searching with Microsoft Office OneNote. I ended up writing 4 pages in outline form.

I also looked at some of the majors that interested me. Political Science and Management (Business) stuck out at me.

Let me pause and mention a recent TIME magazine article, How Obama Is Using the Science of Change. The article explains how Obama is using behavioral science to influence people to carry out his policies. For example, let’s take recycling. The government has 2 brute force powers it can use. Democrats, stereotypically, would pass a law mandating recycling. If you did not recycle, you may have to pay a fine. Republicans, stereotypically, would call for a tax cut. If you claimed you recycled, you could have a $10 tax credit on your income tax. Both of these plans would create bureaucracy and cost money. But through soft power, one could achieve the same results. For instance, if it was easier to recycle, many more people would do it. In real life, Obama has had his tax cuts added to withholding. Instead of getting a much more visible $500 check, you get $10/week. You are much more likely to spend the $10 because you don’t really notice it. Historically, many people used large rebate checks for savings or to cover debts, both of which do not help the economy recover. (Plus, you may note that an MIT professor is quoted in the article.)

So this is kinda what I am interested in. HCI studies people’s behaviors to improve computers. Behavioral economics studies people’s behaviors to improve real life. I was also swept by Obama’s presidential campaign and the fervor surrounding that. I kinda want to do more than just computers. Throughout middle school, I had always liked math and science more than the humanities. However, in high school, I had discovered social science (shoutout to Mr. Cobb [link]) and became interuided at how the world operated.

I also think that MIT would be more challenging for me. I had attended PA’s Governor’s School at Drexel and I was not challenged by the course work. About half of it I knew, and half was easy. In addition, I seemed to be one of the top students at the program, with the most experience. I could go to one of these programs, have a relatively easy time, graduate, and make big bucks as a good corporate robot designing the UI of their new trader’s software. (Not that I could not do that after MIT, the program is not designed specifically for this goal, but it is a big option)

Part 3: Community at CPW

• CPW sense of community
• Frat
• Seemed to fit in
• Where did not really before
• Moonbounce lobby 7 http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/life/student_life_culture/boing_boing_1.shtml
  • I think that is something that would only happen at MIT
    • Imagine harvard
  • Someone else at my high school says could happen other places
• My biases
• Nerdy people everywhere
  • Interested in learning
• Liberating
• Dedicated to learning
• Found happy place